The United States sent F-35 fighter jets to Lithuania and Estonia on Thursday. On Thursday, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense announced that it was also decided to extend the presence of US forces in the region.
“In response to Russia’s massive aggression against Ukraine, today the United States has taken a very important and necessary decision to extend the presence of the American armored battalion in Lithuania,” the Vilnius Ministry of Defense said on Twitter.
“I would like to stress that we are completely united within NATO. No one is discussing (…) strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and sending more troops anymore,” Lithuanian Ambassador to NATO Davidas Matulionis told LRT Lithuania.
a look: The eastern wing of NATO. Denmark will send fighter planes to Poland. Soldiers will go to Estonia
The F-35 has never been deployed in the Baltic states before.
About 500 American soldiers, Abrams tanks and Bradley armored vehicles were shipped to Lithuania last year. The soldiers were due to leave the country armed in April.
AP / PAP
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